Those of you who catch my livestream (oh look shameless link) know that I can have a bit of a temper, especially when it comes to internet critics and comics. If you caught it last night, you heard my basic philosophy: critics can go screw themselves.
BUT.
That statement needs clarification. Webcomic artists, writers and creators have all encountered the situation where someone, some anonymous internet asshat, says something mean about our comics.
Well, let’s draw some lines here. It’s the internet, and everyone is entitled to their opinion.
These opinions may even be completely correct.
The problem about being correct is relativity. Contradictory arguments may both be correct. In artistic endeavors, it’s pretty rare in my experience that any opinion is absolute in correctness excepting in technique and craft (the how, not the why or the meaning).
For this article, I will define an asshat as an internet critic who refuses to concede the relativity of his or her argument. Asshats believe their opinions are the only “right” opinions out there. Asshats believe you should be grateful for the hork that spews forth from their fingers on the keyboard. Asshats crush, they don’t build up. They don’t merely point out a weak or crumbling or mis-hewn foundation stone of an “artistic building,” they take a bulldozer to it. Oh look, metaphor.
Artists (literary or visual) are often very sensitive, thoughtful folks, whereas internet asshats are sensitive, antagonistic, folks. They remind me of dogs, in the sense they often posture and act tough in the face of a threat, but the second you show aggression back, you are the bad guy. How dare the artist who puts their work online for the masses to see (and therefore, formulate an opinion) not agree with that opinion?! That asshat put a lot of time (~5 seconds) and effort (typing at work) and money (that internet connection is expensive!) into that opinion! Bite back, and that artist is rude. That artist doesn’t know how to accept criticism. Criticism is part of being an artist! You can’t improve without criticism! The asshat is trying to HELP you!
Bull fucking crap.
There seems to be confusion nowadays between what is justifiable criticism and what is assholery. Criticism is a valid opinion (yet still an opinion, refer to figure 2!). Criticism can be given by one whose experience or education gives him or her insight into the weaknesses or strengths of your work. Criticism can be positive (“this is good, continue” or “this example might help with that area giving you problems”) or it can be negative (“this is does not work. The absence negative space detracts from the flow of your sculpture.”) Criticism is NOT the opinion of people who have no experience. I like to call that “stupidity.” How about an example outside the artistic field:
How'd you get in here anyway?
Would anyone blame that doctor for having that man thrown out of his OR? No. Because you all know the doctor is right: Asshat Man (man, I should’ve put that hat on him…) is in fact, an idiot for saying something so stupid and negative. What is the basis of Asshat Man’s assessment anyway? Sure, Asshat Man thinks from his relatively-correct position that he is right. He may be trying to help that surgeon. But since he has no experience in that field, he should know he should keep his mouth shut, and that his opinion is likely worthless. But it’s the internet, and everyone thinks their opinion is worth something, right (as I write this very opinionated article)?
I realize that some artists out there might be pulling out their hair. Artists are often taught to accept any and all criticism gracefully and never disagree. That’s how they roll in art school, or at least, how they did in my classes. Well, that’s insane. We as humans have this wonderfully large organ scientists like to call a brain. Brains are capable of filtering information. We have internal bullshit-O-meters that tell us when someone is saying something worth listening to. We also have the right to tell someone if we want to that they are, in fact, an idiot. For the sake of [virtual] interpersonal relationships however, there is just far less drama involved when you roll with that punch and don’t punch back. If that’s what you choose, so be it. Always remember though that not everyone who gives you an opinion is worth listening to. Also remember that if someone punches back, no, they are not doing anything wrong. I have seen so many artists shot down by other artists for fighting back against the asshats, until they finally concede that “their behavior was unacceptable.” Well, folks, it is their right to defend their own work and when such a defense is done logically, rationally, and with an emotional distance, it is powerful indeed.
And that’s where we get to the crux of the matter.
Emotional distance.
Damn it hurts when an opinion comes hurtling our way, an opinion that agrees with that little voice deep down inside that has been telling you for ages, “you’re not good enough.” This article isn’t about how to come to terms with that little voice. On this subject, I will only say that the little voice can be right. And it can be wrong. See figure 2. In the face of that asshat inner voice though, I’m pretty sure no artists since the days of cave paintings have EVER been fully satisfied with their work. There is always a weakness. Always something that could have been done better. We’re never going to attain perfection, and it just hurts to accept “good enough.”
But you know what cliches are? Stories that have been passed down in our folklore so often because humans LOVE that story. Because it resonates, it’s part of our cultural make up.
Who is Mary Sue? She’s that girl other girls WISH they were. She’s what we see ourselves transforming into.
You know what your painting looks like to someone with less experience than yourself? AWESOME.
There is nothing new under the sun.
There’s always someone better.
Don’t get held up on being so original or doing everything perfect, because that’s all you’ll get–HELD UP.
Rambling again, aren’t I?
Now, let’s look at our example again from another perspective.
"Thanks for the help even though you made me feel bad about my skills and myself...dick."
What I’m trying to say here is that there are some people worth listening to, worth thanking, no matter how they make you feel with their criticism. And there are people who are not in fact entitled to have their opinion heeded. It is up to you, the artist, to determine who that is. In short, it’s the person with experience, with skills to back it up or suitable education in that area. Anonymous internet asshats do not fit this bill.
When should you actually care what an asshat has to say? When that asshat is paying for a product. If that asshat is paying your bills, you had better listen well and be polite about it. We’ve all been there–the customer is always right, even if they are a jerkface. Bend over and smile. But. If that asshat is directing his or her assholery toward your absolutely free webcomic that you spend all your free time working on; if that webcomic is your dream and it makes you happy and YOU YOU YOU like it just fine, tell that asshat the truth their parents or teachers or friends obviously never did: they are entitled to their opinion, it doesn’t mean they are correct or even that you have to listen to it.
When do you listen to people who know what they’re talking about? All the time. And it will hurt, and that person probably doesn’t even realize how much it hurt. That person probably actually tried to phrase the criticism in a happy, helpful, way. And it doesn’t even matter, because of that whole artist-perfectionist thing. Criticism to us is synonymous with failure. Failure is nightmare fodder for us. But you are the only one who is capable of changing your attitude about this. Criticism is NOT failure. Receiving criticism doesn’t mean your work is a failure. You know what it means? Someone out there disagrees with you. This person may have experience or degrees or skill to back up their opinion, but, ask yourself, is what you are doing WORKING regardless? Do you have a readership, and is that readership growing? Are the majority of the comments or feedback positive? Listen to the critic if you want to. Are you not getting any feedback other than negative kind? Well, something is not working, and that should be clue enough.
Not every story or comic is a gold mine. People whose work has a readership in the dozens envy those with the readership in the hundreds who in turn envy those with 1000′s and so on. If you’ve got that comic you’ve been working on for Quite Some Time and are depressed because your readership isn’t growing, listen to the critics (but not the asshats). Only when you walk into the arena of competition should you care enough to change what you’re doing even when you don’t want to, or if it’s a pain, or requires more work or study for you. If you are in this for yourself, for an artistic outlet, for fun, and don’t care about the “money or fame,” (hahahah whatevs) screw those fucking asshats.
Ending on a positive note, FTW.
